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MSU soccer team plans to go on attack

Mississippi State soccer coach Neil Macdonald said he has the tools to go on the attack this season.
Macdonald expects to use a more aggressive style and believes that plan will work.
"We've got a good group and I think we can do very well," Macdonald said. "The key is keeping our top 15 to 16 players healthy. If we do that, I think we can have a really good run at it and we're excited.
"We have a more attacking team than we've had in the past. We have options to play attacking soccer and to be a team that really the best form of defense is to attack."
Macdonald said there's a balance of veterans and younger players on the squad with the top returners back from last year.
He likes the leadership from his senior class with Leanna Baldner, Danielle Kite, Kat Walsh and Ashley Hood. They helped the Bulldogs to school records in wins (eight) and shutouts (four) last season.
"They've played a lot of minutes over their careers and we have a good supporting cast behind them," Macdonald said. "I feel like we have more depth than we've had in the past at each position."
Mississippi State opens the season today at Tennessee-Martin. The match begins at 4 p.m.
Macdonald hopes to get some early answers about the Bulldogs against a team that won the Ohio Valley Conference last season.
"Obviously, we have a short preseason so we should see a lot of things that should be highlighted to us since it's our first competitive match," Macdonald said. "We know they are a good team and they are well-coached so it will be a good challenge for us opening up."